Belt tightener



E. S. AND P. IVI. REILANDe BELT TIGHTENER.

APPLICATION man SEPT. 9. |919.

Patented Jan. 10, 1922.

UNITED STATES Paru rec.

ERNEST S. REILAND AND IPETER-1VI. REILAND, OF ST.,PAU,I1, MINNESOTA. i

BELT TIGHT-ENRE.

l'Application led September To all 'whomfma'y conce/rn:

ABe it known thatwe7 ERNEST REILAND and PETER M- Rimani), citizens ofthe United States, residing at St. Paul, county of Ramsey, and State ofMinnesota, have invented new anduseful Improvements in Belt Tighteners,of which the following is a specification.

The primary object of this invention is to simplify and make moreeffective fan belt tighteners for automobiles whereby a fan belt is keptunder continuous yielding tension to assure the utmost efficiency of thefan, said tension being easily adjusted b v f inexperienced operators.

A further object is to reduce the trouble incident to maintaining fanbelts tightened and to provide a construction which is most effectiveand not likely to get out of order. With these and other objects in viewour invention comprises the features of construction and combination ofparts hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification Fig. 1 isa front view of a portion of the engine of an automobile showing ourimproved attachment applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thestructure illustrated in Fig. 1 a portion thereof being broken away andin section and the fan shown on the fan shaft; F ig. 3 is a sideelevation of a portion of our improved structure showing our improvedlever arm and tilting beam mounted thereon, and Fig. 4 is a section of adetail taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 3.

In the drawing is illustrated the usual crank case A of an automobile inwhich is journaled the usual crank shaft 10 said crank case beingprovided with an upwardly projecting lug 11 having a forwardlyprojecting boss 12 on its side. The forward end of the crank shaft 10carries the usual fan belt drive pulley 13 which is adapted to drive thebelt 14. Our invention provides a bracket arm or lever 15 the lower endof which is pivoted by the bolt or shaft 16 in the lug 11 and is formedon its lower end with an adjusting shoulder piece 17. The upper end ofthe bracket arm 15 is journaled by the pin or pivot 18 by the two sidebearing members 19 and 2O of tiltmg beam 21, said pivotal connectionbeing between the ends of said beam, thus forming two lever armsextending in opposite direc- Specication of Letters Patent. Ptqgnigd J3,1 0, 192,2

a, 1919. serial No. 322,612.

tions from the pivot 18. Upon one of these arms rwhich extends inwardlythe fan-shaft 22 is journaled and to the opposite arm oneI end ofahelical retractile spring 23 is attached. The other end of thistensionspring is attached to a small lug 24 formed on one edge of the bracketarm .15. The tendency of this springis to draw the outerend of thetilting beam down thus tilting the inner-end up. The fan shaft 22 whichis carried by the inner end of the tilting beam has mounted thereon thedriven fan belt pulley 25 and the usual fan 26. The pulley 25 is insubstantial alinement with the pulley 13 and the belt 14 passes aroundboth pulleys. The upward tendency of the inner end of the tilting beamthus draws and keeps the belt 14 tight at all times. This u wardtendency is maintained and adjustedj in strength by turning an adjustingbolt 27 which is threaded through the boss 12 and arranged so that theouter end of its shank will press against the adjusting shoulder 17 onthe lower end of the bracket arm 15. The equal distribution of thejbearing between the tilting beam and the bracket arm prevents anybinding tendency. The pin 18 is held in place by the split key 28. Thetension of the belt can be easily and quickly adjusted by a novice andthere is little likelihood of any of the parts getting out of order. Theapplication of tension to the belt as provided by our invention is mostdirect and eflicient in operation and there is no fixed limit ofadjustment as in prior devices. The tilting beam construction alsoprovides a more direct method of supporting the fan belt pulley andapplying tension to the belt. I

In accordance with the patent statutes we have described the principlesof operation of our invention together with the apparatus which we nowconsider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but we desire to haveit understood that the construction shown is only illustrative and thatthe invention can be carried out by other means and applied to usesother than those above set forth within the Scope of the followingclaims.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. A belt tightener, comprising, in combination, a support, a bracketarm pivoted near one of its ends on said support, an

adjusting member on said support to adjust the radial position of saidarm on said pivot, a tilting beam pivoted on the free end of said arm, apulley journaled near one end of said tilting beam, a belt engaging thepulley, and a retraetile spring connected to the opposite end of thetilting beam to tilt the tilting beam and tighten the belt.

2. A belt tiglitenen comprising, in combi-v` nation, a support, abracket arm pvoted near one end on said support, an adjusting bolt onAsaid support adapted to engage said 3. A belt tightenei, comprising, incombination, a support, a bracket arm pivoted near one end on saidsupport, an adjusting bolt on said support adapted to engage said armand adjust its radial position about its pivot and a tilting beam havinga pair of longitudinal side flanges between lits ends,

' said flanges embracing and being pivoted to the free end ofsaid arm toevenly distribute the pivot bearing between said tilting beam and arm, apulley journaled near oneV end of said tilting beam, a belt'engaging thepulley, and a retraetile spring connected Vto the opposite end of saidtilting beam and to a portion of said arm adjacent to said pivotconnection to tighten the belt. l Signed at St. Paul, in the county otRamsey and State `of Minnesota,ptbis 4th day of September, 1919. 4,ERNEST S. REILAND. PETER M REILAND.

